Hammer of the Gods

Everyone louder than everyone else…

Let's begin arbitrarily in the swirling mists of June 1987. Jon Stone and Ian Fisher both begin work at Mayday Couriers - the home of 'resting musicians'. During the ensuing year they meet and drink the occasional beer in the company of Andy Faith, Jez Gilman and Jerome Blake (Jebs). Jon, Ian and Jebs put together a band called the Metal Militia, with graphic artist Shaun Ward on drums, to play covers and have a laugh. Their first gig is supporting Raw Deal featuring Chris Farr on bass, Jez Gilman on organisation and Alexis Korner protégé Regan Cairns on guitar. Danny Hynes and Billy Kulke have recently disbanded the reformed NWoBHM band Weapon with Danny continuing his front-man duties with the ever-evolving Paddy Goes to Holyhead. Tino and Chris Troy are re-uniting NWoBHM stalwarts Praying Mantis for a one-off gig whilst at around the same time Andy Burgess is playing guitar with Laurence Archer (of whom more later) in Rhode Island Red and his best mate Mark Kirkland is joining Midnight Blue whose drummer Eddie Fincher will resurface later with Jon Stone and Billy in a Led Zeppelin tribute band.

Following on from his stint with Owen Paul, the Mayday ranks are swelled with the arrival of soon-to-be Thunder bassist Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst in addition to Andy Keir , Clive Wigfall , Simon Jeffrey , former John Sloman drummer John Munro and the Gutter Brothers' Chris Cawte. Jebs and Jon form Royal Memphis which eventually features Chris Farr on bass and Simon Jeffrey moonlighting on drums whilst in Decimator with Ian Fisher whose bassist Dave Gulvin eventually gets a job at BMG where he ends up as artist liaison for Velvet Revolver. Andy Keir meanwhile will shortly join erstwhile Royal Memphis drummer Mick Forster in the Shrinking Violets and get banned from Greenbelt Radio. Jebs (who's mate Eddie Parsons was formerly drummer with Laurence Archer in Stampede) departs to his acting career featuring parts in The Fifth Element, Star Wars Episode 1, 2 &3 and Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy before returning much later with a Welsh surname in tow. Jon , Ian Fisher , Chris Farr and Simon Jeffrey form The Jack Death Experience, go to Hamburg and get wasted. Simon Jeffrey , in the meantime, starts working for Gibson Guitars in the company of Mark Kirkland - who has been supplying basses to Snake during his Thunder tours; whilst at the end of his Thunder days, Snake returns to the Mayday rest home to await his call for the Coverdale/Page video shoot. Danny recruits Andy Burgess for Paddy Goes to Holyhead where he is later joined by Tino and Chris Troy.

Billy Kulke meanwhile joins Jagged Edge, going on to Lisa Dominique's band with brother Mark, before forming Sole Asylum which morphs into Mudslide with the arrival of Jon Stone . Jon also joins Billy and Mark in the ranks of the Inter-Kerrang football team (later augmented by Ian and Simon Jeffrey), making his debut against a Deep Purple/Iron Maiden side (Ritchie Blackmore, Steve Harris and a bunch of mates). Jon and Ian start HMC (Heavy Metal Couriers) where, in addition to Snake Luckhurst, they are joined at various times by Chris Farr , Chez Williams , Mark Kirkland , Andy Keir and Julian Lovell . Jon and Billy Kulke join Eddie in the aforementioned Letz Zep, Julian Lovell fails the audition for guitarist having forgotten to learn the songs and they eventually disband. Snake joins Jack Death for a one-off gig and Billy Kulke reappears as the singer of Letz Zep in the company of Gutter Brothers guitarists Chris Cawte and Steve Turner and drummer John Munro, eventually recruiting Simon Jeffrey , who has been playing with one-time Laurence Archer flat-mate Bernie Torme, to fill the drummers stool. Andy Keir leaves HMC for the rural idyll of Malvern where he whiles away his time jamming with Nigel Kennedy and cage-fighting.

Tino and Chris Troy. continue to play as Praying Mantis featuring contributions from the likes of Iron Maiden's Clive Burr and Paul Di'Anno, John Sloman and singer Dougie White who was previously in Midnight Blue and recorded with Billy Kulke and Mark Kulke before joining Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow.

The Jack Death Experience acquires Eddie Fincher on drums and Mark Wallis on guitar who has spent much of the time since the demise of Big At The Ritz hanging out with Nick Worthington who is plotting the Levi's advertising campaigns that will result in Stiltskin and Babylon Zoo rising to prominence. Mark Wallis leaves for a sabbatical and is replaced by Julian Lovell who at last learns the songs. During this time Jon , Simon Jeffrey and Chris Farr join Mark Kirkland (and occasionally Andy Burgess ) in Laurence Archer's Grand Slam and start learning Phil Lynott songs.

Meanwhile Jon , Ian , Simon Jeffrey , Chris and Mark Wallis start playing covers again as the Monster Ragin' Boogie Party while Simon Jeffrey is spotted by Danny when Grand Slam support Paddy Goes to Holyhead and Debbie Bonham and adds another band to his CV. One time Black Sabbath and occasional Paddy Goes to Holyhead bassist Jo Burt is added to Laurence Archer's band, Andy Keir returns to HMC and Mark Kirkland gets a proper job as Head of Artist Relations at Yamaha Guitars, Weapon reform for a 25th anniversary show at the Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany and Jebs recruits Mason (Cardiff - told you there was a Welsh surname in tow), son of Jack (cinematographer on ‘The Vikings) to the Hammer of the Gods crew....to be continued…

T 020 7703 1666
F 020 7703 6999
E enquiries@hammerofthegods.co.uk